PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2020. All Rights Reserved. An individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use. date: 07 June 2020

Consumer Behaviour in Pompeii

Consumer Behaviour in Pompeii

Theory and Evidence

Chapter:

(p.87)
3 Consumer Behaviour in Pompeii

Source:

The Economy of Pompeii

Author(s):

Nick M. Ray

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198786573.003.0004

This chapter explores the possibilities of applying consumer theory to the Pompeian archaeological record. The chapter starts with a discussion of ways in which consumption can be theorized, introducing concepts like ‘taste’, ‘reference groups’, and ‘consumerism’. Ray then goes on to use a set of statistical tools to analyse assemblages of everyday domestic artefacts found in a selected number of Pompeian houses, particularly focusing on metal, glass, and pottery vessels. The analysis highlights not only the fact that a wide range of artefacts was available to Pompeii, but also that different households of comparable socio-economic status followed differing consumption strategies, suggesting that a modern-sounding concept like ‘consumerism’ may actually be of use in understanding Pompeii’s consumer economy.

Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.

PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2020. All Rights Reserved. An individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use. date: 07 June 2020